Like this:

I attended my sister, Baby’s graduation on Friday. She is now a licensed cosmetologist. The ceremony was held at the school and was relevantly simple. Each graduate had to write a paper about their time in the program and the things they learned. I was nervous when Baby’s turn came because she hates to speak in public. She walked to the front and needed a tissue before she said one word. This made my water works flow. (Sidenote: The tears are nothing new for me. I am a known crier. I’ll tear up at a sad commercial.) But my sister did her thing and I was inspired by her speech.

Here is a summary of what she said:

She talked about how she always liked doing hair. In fact, after high school we (my family) all expected her to go to cosmetology school. Instead, she wanted to get away from home so she enrolled in college.

She got pregnant after a year away so she came home and got a job. Twenty months later she had another child.

She didn’t want to depend on the government for assistance so she would work any job she could get. Then she got a good job with benefits and made decent money. She got comfortable and forgot about her dream.

Then her entire division was laid off.

Unemployed and depressed, she talked to LA about her life. Expecting sympathy, she got a kick in the behind. “DO something about it”, LA said.

So, she did.

I listened to my sister talk about the financial hardships and other obstacles that she had to overcome. She talked of being grateful for the support of family and friends. And there she stood, a year later finally realizing her dream. She already has two job offers from different salons. I know she will do well.

The lesson I learned that day was that although your dream may be deferred, you can still achieve it. My baby sister did it.